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LOCAL Labour members have thrown their support behind Jeremy Corbyn despite MPs declaring they want him to stand down as party leader.

The parliament party today voted by 172 to 40 in favour of a motion calling for Mr Corbyn to step down and trigger a fresh leadership contest.

The shadow cabinet members who have actually called for this vote of no confidence have let the party down, at a time when they should be showing solidarity to fight a common cause against what is a Tory break up,

Alan Durrant, secretary of Gosport Labour Party

The veteran politician was accused of being ‘invisible’ during the EU referendum campaign and gifting victory to the Brexit campaign.

But Alan Durrant, secretary of Gosport Labour Party, says senior Labour officials have ‘let the party down’ and should be standing united with Mr Corbyn.

Mr Durrant said: ‘The shadow cabinet members who have actually called for this vote of no confidence have let the party down, at a time when they should be showing solidarity to fight a common cause against what is a Tory break-up.

‘Yet they are calling for the party to be put into another leadership contest.

‘We are fully behind Jeremy Corbyn, and certainly will be showing our support for Jeremy Corbyn, should it come down to a leadership election.’

But Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Portsmouth Lib Dem group leader, says Mr Corbyn has to quit. He said: ‘He has to go, because he doesn’t have the support of his MPs.

‘It’s four and a half to one against.

‘The Labour Party are in a total and complete mess.’

Yet today’s vote has no formal status under party rules and allies of Mr Corbyn have insisted he has no intention of quitting.

They have said that if his critics want to get rid of him they will have to mount a formal leadership bid.

A new prime minister is set to be chosen in September after David Cameron announced his resignation following the outcome of the EU referendum.